THE scheduled mega rally by Yoruba Nation agitators, which could not hold on a grand scale due to the heavy police presence at the Gani Fawehinmi Freedom Park, Ojota, Lagos, on Saturday, turned bloody as policemen shot dead a 14-year-old girl trader identified simply as Jumoke.
The rally, which was planned by the Yoruba activist, Mr Sunday Adeyemo popularly known as Sunday Igboho and Ilana Omo Oodua under Emeritus History Professor, Banji Akintoye, was outlawed about 24 hours earlier by the state government, who said the timing was not right as the state was still in pains following the destruction suffered during the #EndSARS protest.
The young girl was part of the people scampering to safety from police gunshots when she was hit by police bullet which hit her chest, leaving her in a poll of her own blood.
As of the time of filing this report, none of her relatives could be reached, but a woman who was identified as her boss was seen weeping beside the girl’s corpse, even as eyewitnesses strongly condemned the highhandedness of the security operatives.
But the police in Lagos said they never fired live bullets at the demonstrators and consequently did not kill the young girl.
Some of the eyewitnesses, who spoke to Arise Television, on Saturday, insisted that it was the stray bullet from the police operatives that killed the girl.
In a statement, the police confirmed the death of the young girl, but denied that the she was hit by stray bullet from the policemen drafted to stop the rally.
The police said only water cannon and teargas canisters were used on the protesters. There was a serious commotion as the police tried to disperse the protesters.
The image maker in charge of the state police command, Muyiwa Adejobi, signed the statement.
“The command hereby wishes to debunk the rumour and state categorically that it’s a calculated attempt to create confusion and fears in the minds of the good people of Lagos State and the country at large.
“The command did not fire a single live bullet at Ojota rally today [Saturday]. The said corpse was found wrapped and abandoned at a distance, far from Ojota, venue of the rally, behind MRS Filling Station, inward Maryland, on the other side of the venue, with dried blood stains suggesting that the corpse is not fresh.
“After a close look at the corpse, a wound suspectedly sustained from a sharp object was seen on it.
“The command therefore urges the general public to disregard the news and go about their lawful normal daily activities while investigation to unravel the incident will commence immediately,” he said.
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